HONG KONG
Qing bowl fetches US$30.4m
An extremely rare Qing Dynasty bowl made for emperor Kangxi (康熙) yesterday fetched US$30.4 million at auction, Sotheby’s said. The bowl, just under 6 inches (14.7cm) in diameter, is decorated with falangcai (琺瑯彩) — painted enamels combining Chinese and Western techniques — and flowers, including daffodils, which are not typically depicted on Chinese porcelain. The bowl, said to have been used by the emperor in the early 18th century, was sold within five minutes to an unnamed phone bidder from the “Greater China” region, Sotheby’s Asia chairman Nicolas Chow (仇國仕) said. “This is the absolute finest example to exist. There are only three examples altogether that use this beautiful pink [background],” he said.
PAKISTAN
IS attacks Christian family
The militant group Islamic State (IS) yesterday claimed responsibility for killing four members of a Christian family in the southwest. A statement issued by the group claimed that Islamic State militants fired on the group of Christians as they were traveling on Monday in the city of Quetta, killing four. The family was traveling in a rickshaw when armed men on a motorcycle intercepted them and opened fire. “It appears to have been a targeted attack,” provincial police official Moazzam Jah Ansari said. “It was an act of terrorism.” The attack came a day after the Christian community celebrated Easter.
SOUTH KOREA
Park verdict to be broadcast
The Seoul Central District Court yesterday said it would allow a rare live broadcast of the verdict at the trial of disgraced former president Park Geun-hye later this week. Park was arrested last year on a slew of corruption charges after being removed from office following months of huge rallies calling for her ouster. Prosecutors are demanding a 30-year prison term if the court finds her guilty. The court said it decided to allow the hearing to be televised live in consideration of public interests. It would mark the first broadcast for a verdict at the trial of a district court, though trials at higher-level courts have been broadcast.
SAUDI ARABIA
Spouse spying banned
The government on Monday announced that “spying” on your spouse’s phone is now a criminal offense potentially punishable by a hefty fine — and a year in jail. “Married individuals planning to spy on their spouse in Saudi Arabia will need to think twice, because such an activity could potentially attract a fine of 500,000 riyals [US$133,000], along with a prison term for a year,” read an English-language statement released by the information ministry. The provision, part of a new anti-cybercrime law that came into force last week, is meant to “protect morals of individuals and society and protect privacy,” it said.
INDONESIA
Oil spill sparks emergency
The government has declared a state of emergency around a port on Borneo island, officials said yesterday, after a large oil spill and fire killed four people at the weekend. Disaster mitigation officials were able to control the blaze in the port city of Balikpapan, but were still working to contain the spill, which started on Saturday and spread over an area of about 12km2. “We have warned the public not to carry out activities that could spark fires,” said Suryanto, head of the city’s environmental agency. State-owned energy firm Pertamina said it was investigating where the oil had originated and that its underwater pipeline in the area did not have any leaks.
BACKLASH: The National Party quit its decades-long partnership with the Liberal Party after their election loss to center-left Labor, which won a historic third term Australia’s National Party has split from its conservative coalition partner of more than 60 years, the Liberal Party, citing policy differences over renewable energy and after a resounding loss at a national election this month. “Its time to have a break,” Nationals leader David Littleproud told reporters yesterday. The split shows the pressure on Australia’s conservative parties after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor party won a historic second term in the May 3 election, powered by a voter backlash against US President Donald Trump’s policies. Under the long-standing partnership in state and federal politics, the Liberal and National coalition had shared power
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
A documentary whose main subject, 25-year-old photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza weeks before it premiered at Cannes stunned viewers into silence at the festival on Thursday. As the cinema lights came back on, filmmaker Sepideh Farsi held up an image of the young Palestinian woman killed with younger siblings on April 16, and encouraged the audience to stand up and clap to pay tribute. “To kill a child, to kill a photographer is unacceptable,” Farsi said. “There are still children to save. It must be done fast,” the exiled Iranian filmmaker added. With Israel
Africa has established the continent’s first space agency to boost Earth observation and data sharing at a time when a more hostile global context is limiting the availability of climate and weather information. The African Space Agency opened its doors last month under the umbrella of the African Union and is headquartered in Cairo. The new organization, which is still being set up and hiring people in key positions, is to coordinate existing national space programs. It aims to improve the continent’s space infrastructure by launching satellites, setting up weather stations and making sure data can be shared across
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